This invention relates generally to rain gutters and more particularly to a gutter screen for such gutters. Since leaves and other debris frequently clog up rain gutters, some kind of guard or screen which prevents leaves from falling into the gutter is desirable. However, conventional gutter screens may become overburdened by such debris and collapse into the gutter, thereby aggravating the problem instead of solving it.
Conventional gutter screens have a channel-shaped member along the front edge of the gutter screen for receiving a flange bent rearwardly from the top of the front wall of the gutter thereby to hold the screen loosely in place on the gutter. However, as leaves and other debris pile up on this gutter screen, the center of the screen typically begins to bow down until finally the entire gutter screen collapses into the gutter. In addition, since the gutter screen collapses into the gutter, it may become loose and fall off in high winds or be forced off by the action of small animals.
Prior art gutter screens which are designed to be securely held in place typically require a complex bend such as a V-shaped or U-shaped bend at one end of the gutter screen to mate with a gutter hanger or they may require a modified gutter hanger to interengage with the gutter screen to lock the gutter screen in place. These gutter screens or modified gutter hangers are expensive to manufacture and require significant time to install or remove. Moreover, the bend must be consistently formed to mate with specific gutter hangers. Consequently, manufacturing tolerances must be small.
Accordingly, there is presently the need for a gutter hanger which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install on various types of gutter hangers.